A mild, grassy, faintly peppery herb sold in large bunches, used more for freshness and green colour than for a distinct flavour of its own.
What it does in a recipe: A clean green lift and a colour finish - it brightens rich or fatty dishes without imposing a flavour of its own. Pick the swap that covers that job - the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Flat-leaf parsley, Italian parsley, Curly parsley
This is a colour and texture match only. Cilantro's flavour comes from unsaturated aldehydes that parsley does not contain, so it does not taste anything like parsley.
Trade-offThe dish will taste distinctly different, and to the substantial minority who perceive cilantro as soapy it may taste wrong. Use it only where the cuisine already welcomes cilantro.
Raw / no-cookCookingVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-free
Dried parsley is the weakest of the common dried herbs - it keeps the green colour and gives up almost all the flavour. Treat it as a garnish, not a seasoning.
At a glance
Fresh parsley in summary
Fresh parsley at a glance: category, its job in a recipe, the diets it suits, the diets its substitutes can satisfy, and how many substitutes there are.
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley = 1 tbsp chopped celery leaves. The pale inner leaves of a celery head carry the same grassy, faintly bitter freshness as parsley, and both plants sit in the Apiaceae family. A little more bitter and more obviously celery-scented, which is welcome in soups and stocks and less so on fish.
Can I use fresh chervil instead of fresh parsley?
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley = 1 tbsp chopped fresh chervil. Chervil is another mild Apiaceae herb with the same green delicacy, plus a faint aniseed note that does not fight anything parsley would be used in. Softer and more perfumed. Chervil also wilts far faster, so it will not hold up as a garnish on a hot plate.
Can I use fresh cilantro instead of fresh parsley?
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley = 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves. This is a colour and texture match only. Cilantro's flavour comes from unsaturated aldehydes that parsley does not contain, so it does not taste anything like parsley. The dish will taste distinctly different, and to the substantial minority who perceive cilantro as soapy it may taste wrong. Use it only where the cuisine already welcomes cilantro.
Can I use fresh carrot tops instead of fresh parsley?
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley = 1 tbsp finely chopped carrot tops. Carrot greens are close relatives of parsley and share the same grassy, slightly bitter green note, which is why they work in a salsa verde. More bitter and coarser in texture. Best blended into a sauce rather than scattered over a finished plate.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter - confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.